Staff Report
What’s the best way to win a high school football state championship in New Jersey? Turn a wide receiver into a quarterback, of course!
That’s what Cedar Creek did, and the development of Frenchmon Bethea helped lead the Pirates to a 12-2 season that included a 34-7 trouncing of Northern Valley-Old Tappan in the Group 3 state championship game.
Bethea began his career as a receiver, but Pirates coach James Melody saw something in him as a signal caller, and after a couple years getting his feet wet in the backfield, Bethea turned in an incredible performance as a senior last fall.
He completed more than 100 passes — more than three times the number had coming into his final season — for 1,827 yards and 24 touchdowns against just seven interceptions. He was also the team’s second-leading rusher behind star running back Aamir Dunbar, carrying the ball 100 times for 942 yards and seven touchdowns. In addition, Bethea was an outstanding defensive back, leading the team with six interceptions.
He saved some of his best games for last, as he threw for 214 yards and two touchdowns in a sectional championship win over Mainland, including leading the winning drive with less than a minute to go. He followed that up with a career-high 285 yards and four touchdowns in a wild 48-38 win over Holmdel in the state semifinals, and he had nearly 300 rushing yards and another three touchdowns on the ground in those two games.
Bethea was also a solid basketball player, finishing his career with more than 500 points and nearly 200 rebounds.
— Staff Writer Dave O’Sullivan
